COLUMBIA, Mo. • It didn’t matter that Avery Johnson Jr.’s off-balance jumper had no prayer midway through the second half Wednesday night. He didn’t have an Alabama teammate within 10 feet of the ball as it caromed off the rim, where Mizzou’s Mark Smith and K.J. Santos stood waiting for the rebound. Instead, it bounced off both and out of bounds.
It was that kind of night for the Tigers in their return to Mizzou Arena.
A two-game losing streak turned into three with a 70-60 loss to the Crimson Tide. All three losses have come by double-digit margins.